October 19, 2012

The Morning Wrap

Drone expansion: The CIA has asked the White House to approve the expansion of the intelligence agency's fleet of armed drones, The Washington Post reports. From the Post: "The proposal by CIA Director David H. Petraeus would bolster the agency’s ability to sustain its campaigns of lethal strikes in Pakistan and Yemen and enable it, if directed, to shift aircraft to emerging al-Qaeda threats in North Africa or other trouble spots, officials said."

'Macho culture': From The National Law Journal today, an update on a Dechert associate's retaliation suit in Boston. "A former Dechert associate who alleges that the firm's macho culture caused his work troubles may proceed with his retaliation claim against the firm based on the Family and Medical Leave Act."

Jokes around: President Barack Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney last night garnered laughs at the 67th annual Al Smith white-tie charity dinner in Manhattan. Romney said at one point, “I was actually hoping the president would bring Joe Biden along this evening because he will laugh at anything.” While the audience was giving Obama a standing ovation, the president said: “Everyone please take your seats, otherwise Clint Eastwood will yell at them.”

Manson probe: "The Los Angeles Police Department disclosed Thursday that it has open investigations on a dozen unsolved homicides that took place near locations where the Manson family operated during its spate of murders four decades ago," according to a report in The Los Angeles Times.

Held: A second suspect is in custody in an alleged plot to blow up the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, The Wall Street Journal reports. The man was identified as a co-conspirator but won't face terrorism charges. The authorities earlier this week charged a man in a sting operation for his alleged lead role in the bomb scheme.

Dollars and cents: The Dallas-based litigation firm Bickel & Brewer is offering its 2013 first-year associates a base salary of $185,000, the Tex Parte Blog reports. “The goal here is always to be ahead of the curve,” William Brewer, a founding partner, said. The Wall Street Journal's law blog has this story.